Bosh, Jack reunited

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In his first public comments, Toronto-bound Jarrett Jack discussed his court reunion with former collegiate teammate Chris Bosh.

"I'm looking forward to playing with Chris (Bosh) again. It will be like our freshman year (at Georgia Tech) all over again," Jack was quoted as saying in yesterday's edition of the Indianapolis Star.

If you're a fan of the Raptors, you're no doubt wishing history doesn't repeat itself, unless you're not a fan of Bosh.

Bosh, after all, bolted college after his freshman season, leaving Jack to fend for himself as he helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a berth in the Final Four.

As good a job as the Raptors have done this off-season, the biggest question hovering over the franchise involves Bosh and his future.

Jack's arrival in Toronto will be heralded today, when the Raptors formally will announce the combo guard's signing.

It's against virtually every team's policy not to disclose terms, but word gets leaked quite quickly in the NBA and the word around the league is that Jack, who doesn't turn 26 until this October, has agreed to a four-year deal worth $20 million US.

He doesn't come cheaply, but Jack represents another versatile piece the Raptors are gathering in an attempt to persuade Bosh to stick around.

Bosh helped recruit Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto and remains friends with Jack, who looms as the Raptors' sixth man.

During his four-year NBA career that includes stops in Portland and Indiana, the 6-foot-3 Jack has been durable.

He's considered a high-character individual whose best days clearly are ahead of him.

Jack supplanted ex-Raptor T.J. Ford as Indiana's starting point guard and is more than capable of sliding over at shooting guard.

He'll attack the rim and provide just enough defence that won't get Jack exposed on the perimeter.

Jack addresses needs much like Turkoglu (point forward) and first-round draft pick DeMar DeRozan (athleticism) filled when the Raptors first began to re-do their roster.

Whether Bosh gets moved this coming season or next summer, the Raptors have locked up five players to long-term deals in Jack, Turkoglu, DeRozan, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon.

As the Raptors move forward, they are well positioned, with or without Bosh, while maintaining financial flexibility.

Jack averaged a career-high 13.1 points in a losing environment in Indiana.

The scouting report on Jack is that he's just beginning to scratch the surface.

He's an upgrade at the backup point position and he'll push Calderon.

Jack's association with Bosh doesn't hurt either.

The salary cap-challenged Pacers were in no position to match Toronto's offer and it became even more apparent when the team targeted Earl Watson, whom Indiana feels is a cheaper alternative to Jack.

"I wanted to be a Pacer come next season," Jack told the newspaper. "I'm indebted to coach (Jim) O'Brien for what he did for me last season.

"Not only him, but also (team president) Larry Bird and (general manager) David Morway.